People should like you for who you are rather than for who they'd like you to be. Maybe your partner wishes that you shared their love of travel, art museums, and classical music. Perhaps you have a friend who'd love for you to be into shooting ranges, ACC football, Fox News, and scubadiving like they are. While there's no harm in suggesting you be open to trying new activities, a line needs to be drawn somewhere. If you're constantly being pushed to do things you have little or no interest in, perhaps you and your friend or partner are less compatible than you thought. Maybe they're not as accepting of the "real you" as they seemed at one point, or they've only now gotten to know the real you and aren't impressed. And that's okay. If changing the way you are is the only way to placate the other person, the relationship just isn't meant to last. There are plenty of other people out there who share your interests and values. ...

After a 10-year hiatus from higher education, I'm strongly considering going back to school next year and pursuing a master's degree in English. Considering I bought three prep books earlier in the week to help me prepare for the Graduation Record Examinations (GRE) -- which my program of interest requires a good score on in order to be accepted -- I'd say that shows I'm pretty serious about taking the plunge. Sometimes I regret waiting so long to get my master's -- then I remind myself that it was ultimately a wise choice. Not only have I been able to gain ample work experience in my field, but the money I would have used on the master's has instead gone towards major life events like getting married, buying a home, and taking a few bucket list vacations. With no debt to speak of (mortgage notwithstanding), I'm in a much better financial position now to get a master's than I would have been if I'd gone to grad school right after earning my bach...

When you look back on the best times of your life, vacations are likely to come to mind -- whether family trips to Walt Disney World as a child, scuba diving adventures with friends, or romantic Caribbean escapes with your spouse. But why is it that vacations hold so much meaning? Why do we have a tendency to say "I need a vacation" in the first place? It's simple: vacations help us escape reality. They offer welcome respite from the daily grind, which, for most people, starts with getting up for work and ends with going to sleep to get up for work. In other words, vacations break a pattern of mundaneness in our life, even if only for a couple of days. Beyond that, vacations create memories, some of which remain etched in our minds and hearts for the rest of our lives. Like eating something new for the first time or entering into a new relationship, visiting a new destination can be very exciting. For example, to behold the Grand Canyon or Statue of Liberty fo...

Far too many of us depend on our partner, friends, and relatives to break out of the boredom that comes over us day in and day out. But why? I'm not saying you can't look to these people occasionally, but really...with all there is to do in the world -- from books to blogging to Netflix to skydiving -- why do so many of us make fun and leisure, in all its incarnations, out to be a shared experience? I think certain activities and sports like bowling and basketball are indeed more enjoyable when more people are involved. However, some have taken this to a whole new level. They refuse to go to the gym or watch a movie unless someone accompanies them. It's as if they can't even enjoy a simple workout unless someone else is on hand. It's either that, or flat-out laziness. Some of us can't be bothered to move a muscle unless someone else is there to provide a nudge. This happens quite frequently in relationships: one partner will rely on the other to get thin...